Hey PDS,
I have a similar set up with Hue bulbs and devices out the wazoo and definitely had similar problems to those that you are describing. I used powerlines to get to deadspots, wifi extenders...etc..a real Frankenstein setup that was a bit fragile but worked mostly. Wifi would cut out fairly regularly leaving frustrated teachers (especially during lockdown Zoom lessons). Also, two iphones could be in the same room...one with good wifi and the other, nada...
Chats with tech help generally resulted in them trying to upgrade my broadband to increase capacity (we're on 200). One guy suggested that, yes, that was a lot of devices to try and attach to one wifi network and what did I expect ?!?!?
As an fully committed apple family, it pains me to suggest it, but maybe the venerable Airports might be approaching retirement age... I dunno. I know the adage...if it ain't broke...
The solution that I finally settled on after trying various routes with wildly varying degrees of success was to rip it all out and go for an independent Mesh system. I now use the VM Hub still in router mode, but with the radios turned off and the first mesh node (TP Link P9) ethernetted to the VM hub. Everything connects just fine without any of the associated drop off of wifi that we would encounter on a daily basis. Less lag, more consistent u/l and d/l and no dead spots or hue bulbs being unresponsive. No swearing from the wife when she loses her student. Each node has two ethernet ports for wired equipment. Wish I'd done this ages ago, but I'm stubborn and don't like spending money
Hope you get sorted.
Richard
